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Friday, October 22, 2010

Airstream Trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Hi Everybody...

Earlier this month I celebrated my 66th birthday. I certainly do not feel that old, but as we all know the years keep on flying by. I enjoy my work at Piragis Northwoods so much that I plan to work for a few more years before I "RETIRE". In anticipation of that grand event Diane and I fulfilled a dream we have had for years and purchased an Airstream trailer. Our hope is to be able to travel all over our beautiful country and do some paddling along the way. We hope to visit many of you who have invited us to stop in if we are in your neck of the woods.

Normally, Diane and I take a fall canoe trip; but we were so excited about our new Airstream that we opted to take a road trip instead. So, we packed up and headed for the Keweenah Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We did not take our canoe with us on this trip, but that is the plan for future adventures.

We had 10 days and decided to take our time. Wow...what a great time and what beautiful country. For those of you who have spent any time around Lake Superior, you know that it is an incredible Lake and has a magical draw. Starting at the Porcupine Mountains we traveled up to Copper Harbor. We base camped there for a few days and drove all over and saw beautiful beaches, countless waterfalls, hiked some wonderful trails, and met some very friendly people. On the way south we toured an old copper mine in Hancock (Quincy Mine) and got acquainted with the history of copper mining. In many ways, it was the same story as the iron mines in the Ely area.

If you drive directly to Copper Harbor from Ely it is about 750 miles round trip. We ended up putting 1250 miles on the Airstream with all of the side trips and country roads. We stayed at some beautiful campgrounds, and often were the only people there. Some places were closed, but we enjoyed not having to compete with crowds of people. The weather was great...no rain and temps were in the 50's and 60's. We loved the Airstream and enjoyed hearing people say..."Nice rig you've got there!".

So...don't be surprised if we pull up into your drive way some day soon. We hope to see as much of this beautiful land of ours as we can in the years ahead. Oh yes...Ely will always be home and we will spend lots of time paddling the BW and Quetico, but we want to expand our horizons.

I will attach a few more photos for you to enjoy. Let me know if you have been to the Keewenah. If you would like to take a trip there, let me know and I will be happy to share some of our discoveries with you.

A beautiful beach just outside of Eagle River.

Some old growth pines in an area called Estivent Pines

A section of the Sturgeon River

US route 41 starts in Copper Harbor MI and ends in Miami Fl. Diane wanted to keep on heading South.

Presque Isle State Park in the Porcupine Mountains at the end of another beautiful day.

The purpose of this blog is to share knowledge that will enhance your next camping experience, specifically in the BWCA. It will be a place to share trip stories and pictures, routing information, the most current USFS information, camping tips, BWCA conditions, gear reviews, and book reviews to name a few.

Our goal is not only to share our knowledge with you, but we are looking for your input as well.We want to hear your stories, what pieces of gear you like to take on your trips, your favorite campsites—we want to build a paddling community where we can learn from each other.So, follow along, give us your input, and tell your friends.Help us share this wonderful place!